Originally Posted by
987g 
I've watched him go through knock down drag out fights with people before but in the end he always makes his way back to the people that really care. This is just the first time I've been his sparring partner and felt his wrath.
Is this what you want in a friend? It seems like a very volatile situation to me, that could turn very ugly at a moment's notice.
It might help you to take a good, hard look at why you are drawn to this type of person. Was there chaos or pain in your childhood that you are trying to "fix"? Are you hoping you will be the one steady, loving person in his life that will wake him up and turn things around for him?
Be careful with this type of relationship. You can't change him, but you can certainly seek out more stable and reliable people that add to the quality of your life, rather than undermine it.